AND OTHER SKETCHES 231 



ary to the horses being called up Wilkins mounted the 

 judges' stand and expressed the hope that they would 

 kind of help him through, as he declared : " I 'm not much 

 of a driver, I'm afraid, and these chaps that are frisking 

 around so in their dehcate buggies, look as if they'd 

 run over a fellow rather than go round him ; however, I 'm 

 mighty hard up for a few dollars of ready money and as 

 my horse is quite handy on the road, I thought I wouldn't 

 be offending my conscience if I was to try and make a 

 trifle out of his speed." 



The judges assured Wilkins he should be protected in 

 his rights and the ' * local preacher ' ' went down, thanking 

 them every step of the way for their kindness. His trap 

 was a sort of cross between a road cart and a jumper 

 and no fellow ever looked more awkward climbing a 

 greasy pole than he did mounting the hybrid vehicle. 



When the word was given he was sitting in such un- 

 gainly fashion some folks thought it was more likely he 

 would fall off going around the first turn, but he didn't, 

 and though he made a terrible mess of it jerking his 

 mare, coming home he managed to get inside the flag and 

 was saluted with all sorts of chaff for his awkward driv- 

 ing. The second heat he sat bolt upright as if screwed to 

 the seat, and after another greenhorn finish down the 

 stretch he succeeded in finishing fourth, two others be- 

 ing behind him. In the pool-selling that was briskly going 

 on before the race and after each heat, all pools being 

 sold on the race, the preacher 's horse sold for one or two 

 dollars, and appeared slow of sale even at that figure. In 

 the third heat Wilkins appeared to have more confidence 

 in himself, and though he still gave evidence of not know- 

 ing much about driving, he managed to win the heat by 

 half a length. The fourth heat he also landed by about a 

 length, and then the crowd began to think the stranger's 

 horse was a mighty good one to win with such a driver 

 up. Before the fifth heat there was a lot of money wag- 

 ered, but still there did not appear to be anybody very 

 hot to back the outsider and in pools of $25 he only 

 brought an average of $8. This heat was much the same 



